2015-2016 Bowl Games Preview December 15, 2015
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Appalachian State, Art Briles, Baylor, Boca Raton, Camelia, Central Michigan, Clemson, Connecticut, Cure, Florida State, Foster Farms, Georgia State, Hawaii, Iowa, Jim Harbaugh, Kevin Sumlin, Larry Fedora, Mark Dantonio, Marshall, Miami Beach, Military, Minnesota, Mississippi, Navy, North Carolina, Northwestern, Ohio U, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Orange, Oregon, Outback, Pasadena, Pittsburgh, Quick Lane, Rose, San Diego State, San Jose State, Sooners, St. Petersburg, Sugar, TCU, Temple, Tennessee, Tigers, Toledo, UCLA, UConn, Western Kentucky
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What used to be the “most wonderful week of the year” has become the most wonderful two weeks of the year. The bowl game lineup has reach an all-time high of 40. Diminishing returns, anyone?
But that aside, here are some upcoming highlights and low-lights (note that all times are EASTERN time):
Tickets to Die For:
No. 4 Oklahoma (11-1) vs. No. 1 Clemson (13-0) in the Capital One Orange Bowl, Dec. 31, 4:00 PM
The Tigers are the No. 1 team, while the Sooners are the hottest of the four teams in the playoffs. More intriguingly, this will be a rematch from the Russell Athletic Bowl of last year.
No. 3 Michigan State (12-1) vs. No. 2 Alabama (12-1) in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, Dec. 31, 8 PM
The Crimson Tide has the postseason experience, but the Spartans have passed every major test over the past three years. Moreover, the two teams are practically a mirror-image of each other.
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup:
Auburn (6-6) vs. Memphis (9-3) in the Birmingham Bowl, Dec. 30, 12:00 PM
Auburn needs this win to validate their lousy season. Memphis needs this win to validate the best season arguably in the history of the program. Thus, this also doubles as a Must-Win.
No. 18 Houston (12-1) vs. No. 9 Florida State (10-2) in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, Dec. 31, 12 PM
The Cougars are going to their first decent bowl game in decades, while the Seminoles might via the Peach Bowl as a come-down after recent BCS/playoff berths. Thus, this also doubles as an Upset Alert.
Best non-Power Five matchups:
San Diego State (10-3) vs. Cincinnati (7-5) in the Hawai’i Bowl, Dec. 24, 8:00 PM
Rocky Long has continued the deceptive strong program built by Brady Hoke in San Diego, while Tommy Tuberville’s Bearcats are never to be underestimated.
Western Kentucky (11-2) vs. South Florida (8-4) in the Miami Beach Bowl, Dec. 21, 2:30 PM
The Hilltoppers have proven to be strong all year, while the Bulls have performed very strongly as of late. The record comparison may look lop-sided, but let not that fool us, for it shall be a close game.
Intriguing Coaching Match-ups:
Kevin Sumlin of Texas A&M vs. Bobby Petrino of Louisville in the Music City Bowl.
One leads one of the most progressive offenses in the SEC. The other is one of the best offensive minds in the game. The irony? Do not expect an offensive explosion.
Mark Dantonio of Michigan State vs. Nick Saban of Alabama in the Cotton Bowl.
As mentioned previously, the two teams are practically mirror-images of the other.
Urban Meyer of Ohio State vs. Brian Kelly of Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, Fri., Jan. 1, 1:00 PM
Two of THE best coaches in the game, going head-to-head? Yes, please!
Larry Fedora of No. 10 North Carolina vs. Art Briles of No. 17 Baylor in the Russell Athletic Bowl, Dec. 29, 5:30 PM
Potentially THE most underrated bowl game of the postseason, provided that both teams show up.
Rumble in the Phone Booth:
No. 6 Stanford (11-2) vs. No. 5 Iowa (12-1) in the Rose Bowl, Jan. 1, 5:00 PM
Both teams have great running games, meaning that this should be a dream for fans of old-fashioned, smash-mouth football. The question becomes, will we be “looking LIVE in Pasadena, Calif., folks”?
Rematches, Anyone?
No. 13 Northwestern (10-2) vs. No. 23 Tennessee (8-4) in the Outback Bowl, Jan. 1, 12:00 PM
Recall the 1997 Citrus Bowl?
No. 16 Oklahoma State (10-2) vs. No. 12 Mississippi (9-3) in the Sugar Bowl, Jan. 1, 8:30 PM
Recall the 2004 Cotton Bowl? This time, the results could be reversed.
Upset Alerts:
No. 18 Houston (12-1) vs. No. 9 Florida State (10-2) in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, Dec. 31, 12 PM
The Cougars are going to their first decent bowl game in decades, while the Seminoles might view the Peach Bowl as a come-down after recent BCS/playoff berths.
Offensive Explosion:
No. 15 Oregon (9-3) vs. No. 11 TCU (10-2) in the Valero Alamo Bowl, Jan. 2, 6:45 pm
Ah, Alamo Bowl, you never fail to entertain!
Defensive Struggle:
No. 14 Michigan (9-3) vs. No. 19 Florida (10-3) in the Citrus Bowl, Jan. 1, 1:00 PM
The Citrus Bowl came back! That aside, the Gators have excelled at making games low-scoring, win or lose. Regardless, Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines will be prepared, and should end up victorious in the end. Also, the matchup of first-year coaches Harbaugh and Jim McElwain is intriguing unto itself.
Great Games No One Is Talking About:
Ohio (8-4) vs. Appalachian State (10-2) in the Raycom Media Camelia Bowl, 5:30 PM
They play this in Montgomery, Ala., in case you were wondering. The Mountaineers are making their FBS bowl debut against a decent Bobcats team.
No. 24 Temple (10-3) vs. Toledo (9-2) in the Marmot Boca Raton Bowl, 7:00 PM
The Owls have proven to be a good team, while the Rockets did beat Arkansas. It’s not a wash, but it should be a close game.
Not Sure What to Make of This One:
UCLA (8-4) vs. Nebraska (5-7) in the Foster Farms Bowl, 9:15 PM
The Cornhuskers are the second team listed here with a 5-7 record. That said, they are better than their record suggests, and, more importantly as far as the bowl committee is concerned, their fans will TRAVEL.
Think there is enough dark blue and gold?
Pittsburgh (8-4) vs. No. 21 Navy (10-2) in the Military Bowl, Dec. 28, 2:30 PM
Why Are They Playing?
Connecticut (6-6) vs. Marshall (9-3) in the St. Petersburg Bowl, Sat., Dec. 26, 11:00 AM
UConn is bowl eligible? That alone is an insult to Marshall, which is actually a decent team.
Plenty of Good Seats Remaining:
San Jose State (5-7) vs. Georgia State (6-6) in the Cure Bowl, Sat., Dec. 19, 7:00 PM
As if Orlando, Fla., did not have enough bowl games, they came up with this one. The Spartans are one of three teams with a 5-7 record but are still going bowling. Meanwhile, the Panthers are only 6-6, meaning that this is a classic example of a garbage bowl game.
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?
Central Michigan (7-5) vs. Minnesota (5-7) in the Quick Lane Bowl, Mon., Dec. 28, 5:00 PM
This is the latest iteration of what used to be the Little Caesars Bowl (still at Ford Field in Detroit). The Golden Gophers are the third team that is 5-7 and yet still bowl eligible. I can hear Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd mocking this bowl matchup right now.
College Football Week 14 Awards December 7, 2015
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Army, Art Briles, Clay Helton, Clemson, Cougars, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Houston, Iowa, Kansas State, Mark Dantonio, Rod Carey, Stanford, Tarheels, Temple, Texas, Tigers, USC, Willie Fritz
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A game where Michigan State was favored turned into a low-scoring, high-drama nail-biter that the Spartans had to win to earn their spot in the Playoffs. (Photo: Aaron Doster, USA Today Sports)
(Note: All rankings are current CFP [week 14] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: Mark Dantonio, Michigan State
Glad I’m not him: Rod Carey, Northern Illinois
Lucky guy: Bill Snyder, Kansas State
Poor guy: Art Briles, Baylor
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Willie Fritz, Georgia Southern
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Rocky Long, San Diego State
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Art Briles, Baylor
Desperately seeking … anything: Dennis Franchione, Texas State
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Troy (defeated Louisiana-Lafayette 41-17)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Baylor (see below)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Texas State (lost to Arkansas State 55-17)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Texas (see below)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Georgia State (defeated Georgia Southern 34-7)
Dang, they’re good: Stanford
Dang, they’re bad: Louisiana-Lafayette
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Baylor
Did the season start? Baylor
Can the season end? Texas State
Can the season never end? Clemson
GAMES
Play this again: No. 5 Michigan State 16, No. 4 Iowa 13
Play this again, too: No. 1 Clemson 45, No. 10 North Carolina 37
Never play this again: Troy 41, UL-Lafayette 17
What? Georgia State 34, Georgia Southern 7
Huh? Kansas State 24, West Virgina 23
Are you kidding me? No. 4 Michigan State 16, No. 4 Iowa 13
Oh – my – God: Texas 23, No. 12 Baylor 17
NEXT WEEK
Only one game, and it is the annual Army vs. Navy game. God Bless America!
Week 14 Random Thoughts:
Order seems to have triumphed over chaos this week.
Exhibit A: Michigan State vs. Iowa. What should have been a fete accompli for the Spartans turned out to be a knock-down, drag-out, high-drama affair. While that might not have been good for Sparty Nation’s collective ticker, it was certainly great for TV and for fan of good football nationwide. Plus, in the end, Michigan State triumphed, as well they should have, and have now earned their rightful place in the CFB Playoffs.
Exhibit B: Top-ranked Clemson had to work very hard to fend off a hungry, formidable North Carolina squad (no, really!). Despite the Tarheels threatening to win the contest at different points throughout the game, in the end, the Tigers triumphed by the equivalent of a touchdown and a two-point conversion. The Tigers are no in position to win their first national championship since 1981, when Danny Ford was the head coach.*
*But first, they must win their playoff semi-final game. Still, they’re in the Playoffs.
Exhibit C: Despite USC’s strong performance in recent weeks with new coach Clay Helton at the helm, Stanford played to form and potential, and won strongly over the recently formidable Trojans.
Exhibit D: The AAC championship game between Houston and Temple was poised to be one for the ages, at least within the context of the conference. The Owls, historically a gutter program, have become a respected team under head coach Matt Rhule. Let us not forget that they took Notre Dame to the wire this year. In the other corner was Houston, who became surprisingly formidable this year under head coach Tom Herman. While it was certainly a possibility that the No. 22-ranked Owls could have won the game, the No. 19-ranked Houston reigned victoriously in the end, 24-13, in a score somewhat commensurate with the respective rankings, if not a little biased towards the Cougars’ side.
Exhibit E: Given recent team performances over the past, say, three years, one would think that the SEC Championship game between Alabama and Florida would have been a rout in favor for the Crimson Tide. But first-year coach Jim McElwain has turned the Gators around to respectability already, allowing many to believe that the Tide’s triumph was not necessary a given. But was good as No. 15 Florida was, and as valiant as the team’s effort was, No. 2 Alabama won in convincing fashion, 29-15.
The verdict: With no major upsets for the top-ranked teams, no major chaos ensured for the CFP selection committee. Clemson, Alabama, and Michigan State all passed their tests, and now — along with Big XII champ Oklahoma — they will proceed to the playoffs, where they shall truly play for keeps.
College Football Week 13 Awards November 30, 2015
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: AAC, Air Force, Arkansas State, Chad Morris, Florida, Florida State, Gary Patterson, Lousiana-Monroe, Marshall, New Mexico State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Purdue, Stanford, Temple, Texas, Troy, UCLA, UNC, USC, Washington
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The Bedlam Series between OU and OKST was supposed to be one of the best games of the week but it turned out to be a rout instead. Photo by Mark J. Rebilas, USA Today Sports
(Note: All rankings are current CFP [week 13] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: Mark Dantonio, Michigan State
Glad I’m not him: Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
Lucky guy: Gary Patterson, TCU
Poor guy: Art Briles, Baylor
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Mike Riley, Nebraska
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jeff Brohm, Western Kentucky
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
Desperately seeking … anything: Chad Morris, SMU
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Memphis (see below)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Oregon (defeated Oregon State 52-42)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Central Florida (lost to South Florida 44-3)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: South Carolina (lost to No. 1 Clemson 37-32)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Western Kentucky (defeated Marshall 49-28)
Dang, they’re good: Ohio State
Dang, they’re bad: Purdue
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Oklahoma State
Did the season start? Baylor
Can the season end? SMU
Can the season never end? Oklahoma
GAMES
Play this again: No. 17 TCU 28, No. 7 Baylor 21
Play this again, too: No. 9 Stanford 38, No. 6 Notre Dame 36
Never play this again: Memphis 63, SMU 0
What? Washington 45 No. 20 Washington State 10
Huh? USC 40, No. 22 UCLA 21
Double-huh? Houston 52, No. 15 Navy 31
Are you kidding me? No. 9 Stanford 38, No. 6 Notre Dame 36
Oh – my – God: No. 17 TCU 28, No. 7 Baylor 21
NEXT WEEK
Ticket to die for: Michigan State vs. Iowa for the B1G Championship
Also: North Carolina vs. Clemson for the ACC Championship
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: none
Best non-Power Five matchup: Temple @ Houston in the AAC Championship
Upset alert: USC vs. Stanford in the Pac-12 Championship
Must win: Baylor @ TCU (Friday, Nov. 27)
Offensive explosion: Washington State @ Washington (Friday, Nov. 27)
Defensive struggle: Alabama vs. Florida in the SEC Championship
Great game no one is talking about: Air Force @ San Diego State
Intriguing coaching matchup: Larry Fedora of UNC vs. Dabo Swinney of Clemson
Who’s bringing the body bags? Texas @ Baylor
Why are they playing? Texas State @ Arkansas State
Plenty of good seats remaining: New Mexico State @ Louisiana-Monroe
They shoot horses, don’t they? Troy @ Louisiana-Lafayette
Week 13 Random Thoughts:
Order seems to have been restored in the Big XII Conference, with Oklahoma having emerge from the recent carnage intact and the clear conference front-runner. Going into the Bedlam Series game against rival Oklahoma State, they were already ranked highly enough to clinch a playoff berth. After defeating the Cowboys on the road in a very convincing fashion, they ought to remain in that coveted spot.
Poor Art Briles. First Oklahoma derailed their championship aspirations, then they lost in the near-freezing rain to TCU. One cannot help but feel for him and his team’s inability to catch a break this year. Better luck next season.
Still, in Briles’ defense, when facing a foe in a constant monsoon of a rain (one where the ambient temperate is roughly 38 degrees), such adverse weather conditions tend to skew teams’ performances unpredictably. Witness unranked Louisville’s upset over then-No. 5 Florida State back in 2002.
Is it too early to point out that we do not know what sort of team we are getting from Texas week-to-week? This same team got off to an horrendous start, albeit to some tough teams, then when everyone left the Longhorns for dead, they upset heavily-favored Oklahoma – the same Oklahoma team that is now surely headed to the playoffs. Then the team turns around and lays a massive egg against lowly Iowa State, embarrasses themselves against West Virginia, and then makes just enough mistakes to lose at home to Texas Tech. This inconsistency is a matter of coaching, as sad as I am to say.
Even though Alabama was supposed to kick butt against Auburn, the Tigers nevertheless made it an engaging, entertaining game, because it was the Iron Bowl.
All that said, this was an excellent weekend for the sport, and the champion games next week are all poised to be entertaining and engaging.
Hello Nebraska. Remember how you fired Bo Pelini because he only went 9-3? How is his replacement, Mike Riley and his 5-7 record work out for you?
College Football Week 11 Awards: the Night of the Living Upsets Edition November 16, 2015
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Art Briles, Auburn, Baylor, Bayou Bengals, Bears, Bob Stoops, Boise State, Boston College, Bulls, Cardinal, Charlotte, Clemson, David Shaw, Doc Holliday, Ducks, FIU, Florida, Houston, Hurricanes, Idaho, Indiana, Jim Harbaugh, Kentucky, Kyle Flood, Les Miles, Living, Louisville, LSU, Mark Dantonio, Mark Helfrich, Marshall, Memphis, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Mike Gundy, Mississippi State, New Mexico, Night, North Carolina, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Owls, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Razorbacks, Rice, Rich Rodriguez, Rutgers, SMU, Sooners, South Florida, Southern Miss, Stanford, TCU, Temple, Texas A&M, Tigers, UCLA, Upset, Upsets, Urban Meyer, USC, Utah, Utes, Washington State, Wildcats
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The Oregon-Stanford game was a classic matchup of speed vs. power. In the end, Stanford ruined their chances of a playoff berth with two 4th-quarter fumbles. This was but one of many upsets that night which could lead to considerable chaos in the rankings. (AP photo/Tony Avelar)
(Note: All rankings are current CFP [week 11] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES Wish I were him: Bob Stoops, Oklahoma
Glad I’m not him: Art Briles, Baylor
Lucky guy: Mark Helfrich, Oregon
Poor guy: David Shaw, Stanford
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Doc Holliday, Marshall
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Les Miles, LSU
Desperately seeking … anything: Kyle Flood, Rutgers
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Texas A&M (defeated Western Carolina 42-17)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: No. 15 TCU (defeated Kansas 23-17)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Miami (lost to No. 23 North Carolina 59-21)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Purdue (lost to No. 18 Northwestern 21-14)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Southern Miss (defeated Rice 65-10)
Dang, they’re good: Alabama
Dang, they’re bad: SMU
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Baylor
Did the season start? LSU
Can the season end? Miami (FL)
Can the season never end? Oklahoma
GAMES
Play this again: Oregon 36, No. 7 Stanford 34
Play this again, too: No. 14 Michigan 48, Indiana 41
Never play this again: Marshall 52, FIU 0
What? South Florida 44, No. 22 Temple 23
Huh? Arizona 37, No. 10 Utah 30, 2OT
Double-Huh? Oregon 36, No. 7 Stanford 34
Are you kidding me? No. 12 Oklahoma 44, No. 6 Baylor 34
Oh – my – God: Arkansas 31, No. 9 LSU 14
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are week 11 CFP as of right now)
Ticket to die for: No. 6 Baylor @ No. 8 Oklahoma State
Also: No. 13 Michigan State @ No. 3 Ohio State
Honorable mention: USC @ Oregon
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Georgia Southern @ Georgia
Best non-Power Five matchup: No. 21 Memphis @ No. 22 Temple
Upset alert: Boston College vs. No. 4 Notre Dame
Must win: UCLA @ Utah
Also: No. 12 Oklahoma @ No. 15 TCU
Offensive explosion: Baylor @ Oklahoma State
Defensive struggle: No. 17 Mississippi State @ Arkansas
Great game no one is talking about: Louisville @ Pittsburgh
Intriguing coaching matchup: Mark Dantonio of MSU vs. Urban Meyer of OSU
Who’s bringing the body bags? Charleston Southern @ No. 2 Alabama
Why are they playing? Idaho @ Auburn
Ditto: Florida Atlantic @ No. 11 Florida
Plenty of good seats remaining: Rice @ UTSA
They shoot horses, don’t they? Charlotte @ Kentucky
Week 11 Take-aways:
Henceforth let this day, the 14th of November in the Year of Our Lord 2015, be known as the Night of the Living Upsets. The daylight hours proceeded with each favored team either comfortably sailing by, or at least no worse than slipping away from the occasional close shave. Then the evening hours descended, and everything seemed to be suddenly turned on its ear.
To wit:
Nobody thought that Arkansas had a chance against LSU. After all, the Razorbacks were having a mediocre-at-best season, sub-par in any case. Moreover, Arkansas had only defeated LSU in Baton Rogue just once in the past 20 years. On the other side of the coin, the Tigers – the Bayou Bengal variety – have been playing very strongly, despite a drubbing to an increasingly dominating Alabama squad. Yet the Hogs took it to the Tigers, in Death Valley, and did so in dramatic fashion, winning 31-14. As an aside, the Hogs now have their fourth straight win, having started the season 2-4.
Meanwhile, out on the west coast, a marquee matchup in the Pac-12 took place in Stanford, where the Oregon Ducks took on the Cardinal – formerly the Indians – in a classic match of contrasts, speed vs. power. Speed ended up winning by default in the end, narrowly, 38-36. Ironically, it was not Oregon’s speed that killed Stanford as it was the Cardinal’s two inopportune fumbles late in the fourth quarter. Otherwise, they surely would have won the contest.
In the heart of Texas, Oklahoma came in to Waco to take on Baylor in a rain-soaked showdown. To the surprise of many, the Bears’ high-powered offense was kept in check the entire game. Not coincidentally, the Sooners actually played real defense, unlike all the Bears’ previous opponents, but it was still a tough fight throughout the game. The triumph was nevertheless that of the Sooners, 44-34.
Elsewhere in the southwest, the high-flying Utah squad ventured to Tucson, Ariz., to take on the Arizona Wildcats. Rich Rodriguez must have been ready for the Utes’ arrival. His team was surely hungry for a big win, for they, muck like Arkansas in the SEC, have had a mediocre season at best. In the end, the Wildcats triumphed over the Utes in 2OT, 37-30.
A near-upset occurred, as Houston barely survived Memphis, 35-34. Those Tigers (as opposed to the LSU, Auburn, or Clemson ones) were in the lead most of the game. The Cougars very gradually gnawed away at the lead in the second half to eventually snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Even then it took a missed field goal on the part of Memphis to finalize the outcome.
Yet another near-upset occurred in Bloomington, Ind., as the Indiana Hoosiers almost knocked off Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines. Only a couple of freak big plays towards the end of regulation in Michigan’s favor saved Harbaugh’s bacon that game, as it put the game in OT where the better talent was able to prevail (which it did, 48-41).
An under-the-radar upset came in the form of South Florida – a nobody the entire season – up-ending No. 22 Temple, 44-23. Remember, this is the same Temple team that played fourth-ranked Notre Dame tough the entire length of that contest. Indeed, they almost upset the Irish. Now the Bulls have decisively beaten/upset the deceptively tough Owls. Oh my.
Another overlooked upset was New Mexico upsetting Boise State in Boise, Idaho, no less, 31-24. It took a stop just four years shy of the goal line on the part of the Lobos, with 0:00 on the clock, to ensure the outcome.
Yet another under-the-radar upset was so only because it was out on the west coast, and very late at night, even by Central Time standards. Unranked Washington State defeated No. 19 UCLA, 31-27, in Pasadena, no less. The win came on a Hail Mary pass that was completed in the end zone in the final seconds, giving an incredible night full of drama one incredible exclamation mark.
Those of who paid attention to the team schedules knew that this November would be a month of separation. What we did NOT anticipate was that so much, er, separation, would occur so soon in the month, and on one night alone. The real kicker? At only halfway through November, more separation (chaos?) is yet to come!
College Football Week 9 Awards November 2, 2015
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: 1982, Al Golden, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Bears, Bobby Petrino, Bulldogs, BYU, California, Central Florida, Charlie Strong, Cincinnati, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Gus Malzahn, Hawaii, Houston, Iowa State, Jeff Brohm, Jim McElwain, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Mark Helfrich, Mark Richt, Memphis, Miami, Mike Leach, Mike Riley, Navy, Nebraska, North Carolina, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, San Jose State, South Carolina, Stanford, Syracuse, TCU, Temple, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Todd Graham, UCF, UNLV, Utah, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Washington, Washington State, Western Kentucky
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One of a few missed calls during the hap-hazard, yet incredible, 8-lateral kickoff return finish my Miami in yesterday’s game. Paging Cal-Stanford 1982: you now have competition.
(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 9] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: Jim McElwain, Florida
Glad I’m not him: Gus Malzahn, Auburn
Lucky guy: Mark Helfrich, Oregon
Poor guy: Mark Richt, Georgia
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Bobby Petrino, Louisville
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jeff Brohm, Western Kentucky
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Charlie Strong, Texas
Desperately seeking … anything: Mike Riley, Nebraska
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Oklahoma (defeated Kansas 62-7)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Texas A&M (defeated South Carolina 35-28)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Vanderbilt (lost to No. 18 Houston 34-0)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Purdue (see below)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Tennessee (defeated Kentucky 52-21)
Dang, they’re good: Florida
Dang, they’re bad: UMass
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Pitt
Did the season start? Arizona
Can the season end? UCF
Can the season never end? Houston
GAMES
Play this again: No. 9 Notre Dame 24, No. 21 Temple 20
Play this again, too: Oregon 61, Arizona State 55 (3OT)
Never play this again: Arkansas 63, UT-Martin 28
What? North Carolina 26, No. 23 Pittsburgh 19
Huh? Miami 30, No. 22 Duke 27
Are you kidding me? Purdue 55, Nebraska 45
Oh – my – God: Iowa State 24, Texas 0
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 9, pre-week 10)
Ticket to die for: No. 4 LSU @ No. 7 Alabama
Also: No. 5 TCU @ No. 12 Oklahoma State
Make it a Trifecta: No. 17 Florida State @ No. 3 Clemson
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: (none)
Best non-Power Five matchup: Navy @ No. 16 Memphis
Upset alert: No. 13 Utah @ Washington
Must win: Duke @ No. 21 North Carolina
Offensive explosion: Cincinnati @ No. 18 Houston (also TCU @ OKST)
Defensive struggle: Syracuse @ Louisville
Great game no one is talking about: Penn State @ Northwestern
Intriguing coaching matchup: Todd Graham of ASU vs. Mike Leach of WSU
Who’s bringing the body bags? Vanderbilt @ No. 11 Florida
Why are they playing? BYU @ San Jose State (Friday)
Plenty of good seats remaining: Hawaii @ UNLV
They shoot horses, don’t they? Kansas @ Texas
Week 9 Take-aways:
First it was Michigan State’s blocked punt that they recovered and ran back for a score with 0:00 left on the clock to beat rival Michigan in the Big House (they were behind prior to said score). Last week was followed up by Georgia Tech’s fantastic finish, whereby they blocked a Florida State field goal attempt at home, ran it back for a score and thus broke the tie as time expired. This week, the Miami Hurricanes – fresh from both a devastating home loss to Clemson and the subsequent firing of head coach Al Golden – made an eight-lateral play on a kickoff return that harkens directly back to Cal-Stanford 1982, for the game-winning touchdown, over then-ranked Duke, on the road. Three weeks in a row, three fantastic, historic finishes.
Well, sort of. There were tons of blown calls on that play, including an illegal block in the back (or two), and at one point, one of the lateralling players for Miami had his knee already down before he tossed the ball sideways. The overlooked calls were so blatant that the ACC suspended the officiating crew the following day. Could it be that the game result itself be overturned? We shall all have to stay tuned.
Bobby Petrino must be beside himself. Despite his able coaching, his players made mistake after mistake on the road against Wake Forest. Yet somehow they managed to barely win. Despite consecutive wins, this performance is not a sustainable path. Something must be done for the team to improve so as to win sustainably. An infusion of discipline would be both a quick and effective remedy.
Poor Mark Richt. Despite all the success he has had at Georgia, he just cannot get over the hump. A statistic during the debacle of a game against Florida (the Gators thumped the rival Bulldogs 27-3 at this year’s World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville) showed that Richt is 5-15 against ranked opponents during his tenure at UGA. Moreover, he is 5-9 against Florida, despite being 141-51 overall. The first stat alone indicates that he has peaked during his tenure at Georgia, that he has gone as far as he can with that program. Some new, dynamic blood in Athens, Ga., would perhaps finally help get the Bulldogs to consistent dominance of the SEC East, while Miami, Richt’s alma mater, has a head coach opening just waiting for a rock-solid fellow such as he. If such a scenario were to play out, it could benefit both parties concerned, the latter particularly, with a fresh start.
What on Earth has happened to Arizona? Early in the season, we anticipated they would be a factor in the Pac-12. Last night, they embarrassed themselves on the road at Washington, after coughing up the game to Wazzu the previous week. The Wildcats will not have much time to lick their wounds, either, as next week they take on USC, followed by Utah the week after, and the week after that they close the regular season against rival Arizona State, possibly with a 5-7 at this rate (they are current 5-4, and 2-4 in the conference).
College Football Week 8 Awards October 27, 2015
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Al Golden, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Cal, California, Clay Helton, Clemson, Doc Holliday, Florida, Florida State, George O'Leary, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Gus Malzahn, Hurricanes, Idaho, Iowa, Jimbo Fisher, Kansas, Kentucky, Kevin Sumlin, Louisiana Tech, Mark Helfrich, Marshall, Maryland, Miami, Mississippi State, Missouri, New Mexico State, North Carolina, North Texas, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Paul Johnson, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rice, Rutgers, Stanford, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Todd Graham, UCF, UCLA, UNT, USC, Utah, UTSA, Vanderbilt, Washington, Washington State
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Georgia Tech blocked a last-second field goal attempt by Florida State, and returned said blocked kick for a game-winning touchdown in one of the most fantastic finishes of the season.
(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 8] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES Wish I were him: Clay Helton, USC
Glad I’m not him: Gus Malzahn, Auburn
Lucky guy: Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech
Poor guy: Jimbo Fisher, Florida State
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Doc Holliday, Marshall
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Al Golden, Miami
Desperately seeking … anything: George O’Leary, UCF
TEAMS Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Oklahoma State (defeated Kansas 58-10)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Pitt (defeated Syracuse 23-10)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Rutgers (lost to No. 1 Ohio State 49-7)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Maryland (lost to Penn State 31-30)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Mississippi State (defeated Kentucky 42-16)
Dang, they’re good: Clemson
Dang, they’re bad: UCF
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Utah
Did the season start? Arizona
Can the season end? Kansas
Can the season never end? Ohio State
GAMES
Play this again: No. 8 Alabama 19, Tennessee 14
Play this again, too: Arkansas 54, Auburn 46 (4OT)
Never play this again: No. 6 Clemson 55, Miami 0
What? UCLA 40, No. 20 Cal 24
Huh? No. 24 Ole Miss 23, No. 15 Texas A&M 3
Are you kidding me? Georgia Tech 22, No. 9 Florida State 16
Oh – my – God: USC 42, No. 3 Utah 24
Told you so: Vanderbilt 10, Missouri 3
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 8, pre-week 9)
Ticket to die for: No. 11 Florida @ Georgia in Jacksonville
Also: USC @ No. Cal
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: No. 11 Notre Dame @ No. 22 Temple
Best non-Power Five matchup: Louisiana Tech @ Rice
Upset alert: Tennessee @ Kentucky
Must win: Arizona @ Washington
Offensive explosion: No. 10 Stanford @ Washington State
Defensive struggle: Maryland @ No. 12 Iowa
Great game no one is talking about: North Carolina @ No. 25 Pitt
Intriguing coaching matchup: Mark Helfrich of Oregon vs. Todd Graham of Arizona State
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 17 Oklahoma @ Kansas
Why are they playing? Tennessee-Martin @ Arkansas
Plenty of good seats remaining: Idaho @ New Mexico State
They shoot horses, don’t they? UTSA @ North Texas
Week 8 Take-aways:
And to think that everyone thought it would be a down week for football. That was before Texas won a ground-and-pound game at home, in the rainy remnants over Hurricane Patricia, over Kansas State. That was also before Georgia Tech, who has had a down year compared to the previous season, recreated Michigan State’s improbably win from last week by A) blocking a field goal, B) against No. 9 Florida State, and C) ran it in for a game-winning touchdown as the final seconds ticked off the clock, in one of the greatest fantastic finishes of the season, if not the decade. This of course, is NOT to discount Michigan State’s fantastic finish from the previous week!
In the SEC, a noticeable upset occurred in the evening when Ole Miss held Texas A&M to only a field goal for the entire game. Speaking of the SEC, Tennessee apparently continues to improve, as their annual rivalry game between Alabama lived up to said rivalry’s prestige, for the Vols played the highly ranked Tide as if they themselves were also a top-ten team. Though Tennessee ultimately lost, it ought to be considered a moral victory, and foreseeably, teams will take the Vols lightly at their own peril.
Then to cap things off for the day, USC upset No. 3-ranked Utah at home, 42-24. It was more than a defeat, it was a demolition. Apparently nothing galvanizes a team with good talent like their coach being let go mid-season under unconventional circumstances and then being left for dead by everybody who pays attention to their sport. Such a win no doubt generates some degree of momentum, but can the Men of Troy maintain it and salvage their season in so doing? They shall have a solid test to prove that they can against insurgent Cal next week. Fight on?
Apropos of nothing, who could have guessed at the beginning of the season that Auburn, who started off ranked no. 6 in the nation, would be 4-3 and 1-3 in the SEC by the end of eighth week?
College Football Awards Week 5 October 4, 2015
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Al Golden, Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Bobby Petrino, Boilermakers, Boise State, Brian Kelly, Cal, California, Cardinals, Charlie Strong, Cincinnati, Clemson, college, Colorado State, Cotton Bowl, Dabo Swinney, FIghting Irish, Florida, Florida State, football, Gators, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Horned Frogs, Hugh Freeze, Hurricanes, Illinois, Iowa, Jim Harbaugh, Jim McElwain, Jim Mora, Kansas, Longhorns, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisville, Mark Richt, Matt Rhule, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi State, N.C. State, NC State, NCAA, Nebraska, New Mexico State, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Pat Fitzgerland, Purdue, South Carolina, South Florida, Steve Spurrier, Syracuse, TCU, Temple, Texas, Tigers, Troy, UCLA, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
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Clemson triumphed over Notre Dame in what was perhaps the most thrilling game of the season thus far. Mandatory photo credit: Joshua S. Kelly of USA TODAY Sports
(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 5] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: Dabo Swinney, Clemson
Glad I’m not him: Al Golden, Miami
Lucky guy: Bret Bielema, Arkansas
Poor guy: Mark Richt, Georgia
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Jim Mora, UCLA
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Matt Rhule, Temple
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Hugh Freeze, Ole Miss
Desperately seeking … anything: Steve Spurrier, South Carolina
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: TCU (defeated Texas 50-7)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Michigan State (defeated Purdue 24-21)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Texas (lost to No. 4 TCU 50-7)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Purdue (lost to No. 2 Michigan State 24-21) T
hought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Iowa (defeated North Texas 62-16)
Dang, they’re good: TCU
Dang, they’re bad: Louisiana-Lafayette
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Ole Miss
Did the season start? Georgia Tech
Can the season end? Wyoming
Can the season never end? Clemson
GAMES
Play this again: No. 12 Clemson 24, No. 6 Notre Dame 22
Play this again, too: Arkansas 24, Tennessee 20
Never play this again: No. 4 TCU 50, Texas 7
What? Tulane 45, UCF 31
Huh? Iowa 10, #19 Wisconsin 6
Are you kidding me? No. 12 Clemson 24, No. 6 Notre Dame 22
Oh – my – God: Arizona State 38, No. 7 UCLA 23
Told you so: Louisville 20, N.C. State 13
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 5, pre-week 6)
Ticket to die for: No. 10 Oklahoma vs. Texas in the Cotton Bowl
Also: No. 13 Northwestern @ No. 18 Michigan
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Syracuse @ South Florida
Best non-Power Five matchup: No. 25 Boise State @ Colorado State
Upset alert: Miami (Fla.) @ No. 12 Florida State
Must win: Wisconsin @ Nebraska
Offensive explosion: No. 23 Cal @ No. 5 Utah
Defensive struggle: Illinois @ No. 22 Iowa
Great game no one is talking about: No. 21 Oklahoma State @ West Virginia
Intriguing coaching matchup: Pat Fitzgerald of Northwestern vs. Jim Harbaugh of Michigan
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 3 Baylor @ Kansas
Why are they playing? New Mexico State @ No. 14 Ole Miss
Plenty of good seats remaining: Portland State @ North Texas
They shoot horses, don’t they? Troy @ Mississippi State
Week 5 Take-aways:
What a weekend for college football! The grand irony is that this week left more questions than answers.
What a game it was in Clemson, S.C. Notre Dame came to town ranked No. 6 in the nation. The Tigers were ranked twelfth. ESPN’s Gameday crew was there. A massive rainstorm persisted throughout the day and night. Fans watching on national TV witnessed the team descend the hill in “Death Valley” to take on the highly-ranked Fighting Irish. Mistakes were made on both sides: typical ups-and-downs of a thrilling contest between highly-ranked teams. In the end, the Tigers triumphed.
But all of this ought not to obfuscate that Brian Kelly has built a strong program in South Bend. Were they overrated at No. 6? Definitely. Are they still a tough team? Definitely.
Tennessee lost yet another heartbreaker, this time to Arkansas. It was a close contest throughout the game, but the same problem continues to plague the Vols: they have yet to learn how to close a game, which is to say, they need to learn to stop blowing leads late in games.
Steve Spurrier dropped yet another game to a low-standing team in the SEC. Is it too early to say that the wheels might be coming off the program? Will Spurrier eventually have the fortitude to fall on his sword and thus clear the path for the program to be lead in a new direction?
Worse yet is the condition of the Texas Longhorns, who just got drubbed by TCU in Fort Worth, 50-7. Yes, Coach Gary Patterson has gradually built up a super-strong program over the years, but is the lack of quarterback play on the part of the Longhorns the only thing that explains such a debacle, or is it something more systemic than who is the head coach?
Oh, and this slump could not come at a worse time, as Texas takes on Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl next week.
The Cincinnati Bearcats have given us two good Thursday night games in a row, and in the process, have walked away with two wins. The most recent one was home over the Miami Hurricanes. There has already been grumbling around Coral Gables that Al Golden has not brought the Canes back to the level of prominence that the faithful would like to see. Is losing to UC a fireable offense, in culmination of this lack of expected progress?
How does one explain Michigan State’s lackluster performance at home against weak Purdue? The Boilermakers were just a field goal away late in the 4th quarter from tying the game in regulation. Have the Boilers improved that much in just one week since losing a near-gimme game the previous contest? Regardless, it will be very interesting to see if Purdue can sustain any sort of improvement as the season progresses.
Ole Miss was rolling after defeating then-No. 3 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The Rebels thus proved that they were both a tough team to reckon with and a team that could win on the road in a hostile environment. And yet, when they ventured into The Swamp to play Florida, they laid an egg. Yes, the Gators are improving week-by-week under the able leadership of Jim McElwain, but this alone cannot explain such an embarrassing defeat. Perhaps Coach Freeze did not have his men fully prepared, or, a critical mass of the team decided to take the game off, thinking it would not be as challenging as playing Bama. Such are the vicissitudes of college football, where 19 and 20-year olds are susceptible to such emotional roller coasters week to week that can negatively affect their level of play. It is a problem that coaches do not have to deal with in the pros, thankfully.
On a bright note, Bobby Petrino has his Louisville Cardinals slowly improving. Yes, they got their first win in a body bag game at home against Samford, but then they won, on the road, against a decent NC State team, in the rain. If that is not improvement, can somebody tell me what is?
College Football 2015 Week 1 Awards September 9, 2015
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Army, Auburn, B1G, Big 10, Big Ten, Boise State, Bret Bielema, Bronco Mendenhall, BYU, Central Florida, Charlie Strong, college, David Shaw, Duke, FIU, Florida State, football, Gene Chizik, Georgia, Hawaii, Jeff Monken, Jerry Kill, Jim Harbaugh, Kentucky, Kevin Sumlin, Larry Fedora, LSU, Marhsall, Michigan, Michigan State, Mike Riley, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Nebraska, North Carolian, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Ohio U, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, South Alabama, South Carolina, Stanford, Steve Spurrier, TCU, Temple, Tennessee, Tennessee-Martin, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, Tulane, UCF, UCon, Urban Meyer, UTSA
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The battle for Carolina in Charlotte started the 2015 college football season well. It was very aesthically pleasing to see North Carolina and South Carolina both wear their home colors, too!(AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 1] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES Wish I were him: Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M
Glad I’m not him: David Shaw, Stanford
Lucky guy: Bronco Mendenhall, BYU
Poor guy: Mike Riley, Nebraska
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Steve Spurrier, South Carolina
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Jerry Kill, Minnesota
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Charlie Strong, Texas
Desperately seeking … anything: Jeff Monken, Army
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: No. 9 Georgia (defeated LA-Monroe 51-14)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: No. 22 Arizona (defeated UTSA 42-32)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Texas State (lost to No. 10 Florida State 59-16)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Central Michigan (lost to Oklahoma State 24-13).
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: No. 11 Notre Dame (defeated Texas 38-3)
Dang, they’re good: Ohio State
Dang, they’re bad: Tulane
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Stanford
Did the season start? Texas (Honorable Mention: Penn State)
Can the season end? Tulane
Can the season never end? Notre Dame
GAMES
Play this again: No. 6 Auburn 31, Louisville 24
Play this again, too: No. 2 TCU 23, Minnesota 17
Honorable Mention to play again: South Carolina 17, North Carolina 13
Never play this again: No. 17 Ole Miss 76, Tennessee-Martin 3
Say what? BYU 33, Nebraska 28
WHAT? FIU 15, UCF 14
Huh? Northwestern 16, No. 21 Stanford 6
Are you kidding me? Texas A&M 38, No. 15 Arizona State 17
Oh – my – God: Temple 27, Penn State 10
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 1, pre-week 2)
Ticket to die for: No. 7 Oregon @ No. 5 Michigan State
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Houston @ Louisville; also: Minnesota @ Colorado State
Best non-Power Five matchup: Marshall @ Ohio U
Upset alert: No. 19 Oklahoma @ No. 25 Tennessee
Must win: Kentucky @ South Carolina
Offensive explosion: No. 22 Arizona @ Nevada
Defensive struggle: No. 14 LSU @ No. 25 Mississippi State
Great game no one is talking about: Minnesota @ Colorado State; also: No. 20 Boise State @ BYU
Intriguing coaching matchup: Mark Stoops of Kentucky vs. Steve Spurrier of South Carolina
Who’s bringing the body bags? Hawaii @ No. 1 Ohio State
Why are they playing? South Alabama @ Nebraska
Plenty of good seats remaining: Army @ UConn
They shoot horses, don’t they? NC Central @ Duke
Week 1 Take-aways:
- Ohio State seems to have not skipped a beat during the offseason. After the occasional hiccup in the second quarter, they made every halftime adjustment one could think of and demonstrated why they deserve to retain the top ranking.
- Had Louisville not made mistake after mistake, the results of the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game would surely have been considerably different. That said, Auburn is not a team with which to be trifled.
- Evidence of the Big Ten gaining strength compared to, say, seasons 2005-2013, could not be further on display, and not just with the top dog Ohio State. Mighty Stanford travelled eastward to take on Northwestern in Evanston, Ill. They did not return to the West Coast victorious. Few pigskin prognosticators saw THAT coming.
- Arizona State has potential to be a tough team. Dropping the ball – figuratively — to Texas A&M did not help their case. Either the Sun Devils were highly overrated going into the game, or they picked a horrible time to take the night off.
- Either South Carolina is starting to struggle a bit as a program, or North Carolina has greatly improved. At this point, I suspect the latter. Larry Fedora has proven to be a capable coach, and Gene Chizik’s influence on the Tarheel’s defense quickly showed itself.
- Jim Harbaugh shall no doubt make Michigan into a respected power again. Their loss to Utah in Salt Lake City seemed to be a speedbump towards that goal. The immediate discernment is that the Utes are becomingly an increasingly respected program in the post-Urban Meyer era. In the meantime, signs that Harbaugh is shaking things up in Ann Arbor is already readily apparent. For one, their legendary helmet design now has metal flake in the both the yellow and blue parts of the distinct pattern – a first for the program. Moreover, they were wearing [gasp!] white pants with traditional stripes, which is a far cry from the plain yellow pants they have worn for decades. That last item alone is proof that Hades has officially frozen over!
Such is the ‘rousing start to the 2015 college football season. One more week of an excess of body bag games to go, and things ought to be even more interesting!
College Football Week 14 Awards November 30, 2014
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Art Briles, Baylor, Bill Snyder, Bobby Petrino, Boise State, Brian Kelly, Cincinnati, Clemson, Colin Cowherd, Colorado, Dave Doeren, East Carolina, Florida, Florida State, Fresno State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Houston, Iowa State, Jim Mora, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, Mark Richt, Marshall, Mississippi State, Missouri, N.C. State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Paul Johnson, Rebels, Rice, Rich Rodriguez, SMU, South Carolina, South Florida, Stanford, Steve Spurrier, TCU, Temple, Tulane, UCF, UCLA, UConn, USC, Utah, Western Kentucky, Wisconsin
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(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 14] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: Rich Rodriquez, Arizona
Glad I’m not him: Steve Spurrier, South Carolina
Lucky guy: Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech
Poor guy: Mark Richt, Georgia
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Bobby Petrino, Louisville
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Dave Doeren, N.C. State
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Jim Mora, UCLA
Desperately seeking … anything: Brian Kelly, Notre Dame
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: Kansas State (defeated Kansas 51–13)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Utah (defeated Colorado 38–34)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Notre Dame (lost to USC 49–14)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Kentucky (lost to Louisville 44–40)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: N.C. State (defeated North Carolina 35–7)
Dang, they’re good: Alabama
Dang, they’re bad: South Florida
You know, they’re not so bad: Georgia Tech
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Mississippi State
Did the season start? South Carolina
Can the season end? Notre Dame
Can the season never end? Arizona
GAMES
Play this again: No. 11 Arizona 42, No. 13 Arizona State 35
Play this again, too: No. 22 Louisville 44, Kentucky 40
Never play this again: Louisiana Tech 76, Rice 31
What? Western Kentucky 67, No. 24 Marshall 66,OT
Huh? No. 16 Georgia Tech 30, No. 9 Georgia 24
Are you kidding me? Stanford 31, No. 9 UCLA 10
Oh – my – God: No. 19 Ole Miss 31, No. 4 Mississippi State 17
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 14, pre-week 15)
Ticket to die for: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 17 Missouri
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: None
Best non-Power Five matchup: UCF @ East Carolina
Upset alert: No. 12 Kansas State @ No. 7 Baylor
Must win: No. 14 Wisconsin vs. No. 6 Ohio State
Offensive explosion: No. 11 Arizona vs. No. 2 Oregon
Defensive struggle: Temple @ Tulane
Great game no one is talking about: Oklahoma State @ No. 20 Oklahoma
Intriguing coaching matchup: Bill Snyder of Kansas State vs. Art Briles of Baylor
Who’s bringing the body bags? Iowa State @ No. 5 TCU
Why are they playing? Fresno State @ No. 23 Boise State
Plenty of good seats remaining: SMU @ UConn
They shoot horses, don’t they? Houston @ Cincinnati
Week 14 Random Thoughts:
As Colin Cowherd so wisely predicted, the landscape of college football has been seriously altered after this, the rivalry week. Start with Ohio State losing their second quarterback to injury. Already on the outside looking in to the playoff picture, at No. 6 and with a third–string QB, it is unlikely they will have the credibility to be let into the top four of the playoff, even if they beat a coming–on–strong Wisconsin.
South Carolina was already a team that we know what they were this month: a team that blows 4th-quarter leads (notwithstanding beating Florida at game’s end a couple of weeks ago). Such a tendency has already ruined their season. Such ruination was given an exclamation point when they laid down and died to in–state rival Clemson. “I the guys, 6–6 might be what we are,” he sighed in the post–game press conference. Let us hope this is not the last we have seen of the Ol’ Ball Coach, and that he has an opportunity to go out on a high note (along with a better record) next season.
Of course, nothing has altered the current college football picture like Mississippi State losing ignominiously to their arch–rival Ole Miss. All they had to do was beat the Rebels –– a tall order, to be sure –– and they would likely have secured a coveted spot into the top four playoff picture. Not anymore, in all likelihood, and more the pity.
Meanwhile, chippy UCLA had a golden opportunity –– wink –– to play for the Pac–12 title as the south division representative against Oregon. All that was before they dropped the ball to an apparently resurgent Stanford, thus giving the south division championship berth to Arizona instead. Hello, offensive explosion!
My prognostication for the final four playoffs? Alabama, Oregon, Florida State, and TCU –– if these shadows remain unchanged, which, at this rate, they will not.
College Football Awards Week 11 November 11, 2014
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports, Uncategorized.Tags: Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, BC, Bill Snyder, Boston College, Brian Kelly, Buffalo, Butch Jones, Cards, Cincinnati, Clemson, college, Crimson Tide, Doc Holliday, Duke, East Carolina, Florida, football, Gary Patterson, Georgia, Georgia Southern, Gus Malzahn, Horned Frogs, Houston, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Irish, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Kevin Sumlin, Kirk Ferentz, KSU, Louisville, LSU, Mark Dantonio, Mark Stoops, Marshall, Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Missouri, Navy, NCAA, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Pat Fitzgerald, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Presbyterian, SEC, South Carolina, Southern Miss, Sun Devils, TCU, Temple, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Tigers, Todd Graham, Tony Levine, Troy, Urban Meyer, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Wildcats
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(Note: All rankings are current AP [week 11] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: Todd Graham, Arizona State
Glad I’m not him: Mark Dantonio, Michigan State (hon. mention: Brian Kelly, Notre Dame)
Lucky guy: Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M
Poor guy: Gus Malzahn, Auburn
Desperately seeking a wake-up call: Tony Levine, Houston
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Doc Holliday, Marshall
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
Desperately seeking … anything: Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: No. 11 Ole Miss (defeated Presbyterian 48-0)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: Penn State (defeated Indiana 13-7)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Kentucky (lost to No. 20 Georgia 63-31)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Wake Forest (lost to No. 21 Clemson 34-20)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Marshall (defeated Southern Miss 63-17)
Dang, they’re good: TCU
Dang, they’re bad: Iowa State
You know, they’re not so bad: Louisville
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Michigan State
Did the season start? West Virginia
Can the season end? Buffalo
Can the season never end? Ohio State
GAMES
Play this again: No. 3 Auburn 35, No. 3 Ole Miss 31
Play this again, too: No. 24 Duke 51, Pittsburgh 48
Never play this again: Marshall 63, Southern Miss 17
What? Texas 33, No. 23 West Virginia 16
Huh? No. 9 Arizona State 55, No. 10 Notre Dame 31
Are you kidding me? No. 14 Ohio State 49, No. 8 Michigan State 37
Oh – my – God: Texas A&M 41, No. 3 Auburn 38
NEXT WEEK
(rankings are current AP (post-week 11, pre-week 12)
Ticket to die for: No. 1 Mississippi State @ No. 5 Alabama
Best non-Power Five vs. Power Five matchup: Temple @ Penn State
Best non-Power Five matchup: East Carolina @ Cincinnati
Upset alert: No. 16 LSU @ Arkansas
Must win: South Carolina @ Florida
Offensive explosion: Missouri @ Texas A&M
Defensive struggle: Virginia Tech @ No. 22 Duke
Great game no one is talking about: No. 14 Ohio State @ Minnesota
Intriguing coaching matchup: Mark Stoops of Kentucky vs. Butch Jones of Tennessee
Who’s bringing the body bags? No. 6 TCU @ Kansas
Why are they playing? Georgia Southern @ Navy
Plenty of good seats remaining: Troy @ Idaho
They shoot horses, don’t they? No. 12 Michigan State @ Maryland
Week 11 Random Thoughts:
- So many good games took place from 19:00 or later on the 8th of November. Start with Louisville at Boston College, which should not have been interesting on paper, but was, unfortunately, due to the Cardinals’ inability to get it together for the first half (they did in the second). Then again, the Cards have always had their troubles with BC! But then came TCU vs. Kansas State. Bill Snyder has put together an excellent team for this year, and the Wildcats being well-coached shows on the field (especially against Auburn early on in the season). But even a good time like KSU was no match for Gary Patterson’s Horned Frogs, who are making every statement they can in order to vie for the playoffs.
Or, look at Ohio State vs. Michigan State. After the Buckeyes laid an egg at home to a mediocre Virginia Tech squad, everybody was skeptical as to how good a team they truly were. Leave it to Urban Meyer to coach his talented bunch up to be more than a match for Mark Dantonio’s Spartans.
But it turned out the most important game, and the one with the biggest national title implications was the Alabama-LSU game. In typical fashion, it was a defensive struggle, and just to make things even more exciting / to heighten the already high degree of urgency even further, the game went into overtime. The Crimson Tide still have a brutal slate of games ahead, but their win is certain a step in the right direction for them
- As I have noted before, Notre Dame is overrated. To be sure, I also noted (in other article) that they are enigmatic. But the overrated question mark remained; lurking, hidden, just waiting for the right opportunity to emerge. Thanks be to Todd Graham and the Arizona State Sun Devils to confirm that which us skeptics felt all along. After all, to have the Irish be among the final four, thus displacing a far-more deserving second SEC team in the process, would have been a travesty beyond words: a travesty, thankfully, that will be pre-empted before it even began.
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